Born in Jerusalem, Israel, Dalia Itzik hold a BA, a Dip. Ed. and an LL.B. She has been a teacher, school vice-principal, and held managerial positions in Education, Trade Unionism, Culture and Communications, overlapping her entry into politics.
Itzik was an active member of the Israel Labor Party and joined its central committee in 1985. She entered local politics as a member of the Jerusalem City Council, becoming Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem. Itzik was first elected to the 13th Knesset (1992), when Yitzhak Rabin led the Labor Party and served actively on Knesset Committees addressing social issues: violence against women, education, culture, and communications. She continued to serve as Chairperson and member of educational, constitutional, justice, and technological committees in the 14th and 16th Knessets.
In the 15th and 16th Knessets, Itzik also held ministerial positions: Minister of the Environment and Minister for Trade and Industry; Minister of Communications. At the dissolution of the 16th Knesset, Dalia Itzik left the Labor Party to join the newly formed Kadima Party.
In the 17th Knesset, Dalia Itzik became the first woman Speaker of the Knesset. In this capacity, she also served as acting President of the State of Israel for the first half of 2007, in the interim period pending the election of Shimon Peres as Israel's new President.
Further References - Biography
English
http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=8
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2002/11/Dalia+Itzik.htm
http://www.kadima.org.il/members.php?vrt=22
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/711782.html
http://www.babylonjewry.org.il/new/english/nehardea/13/37.htm
http://www.alamy.com/stock_photography/DC55ABBF-45CF-4428-A739-D9D4135EF2A/1/Aviv+Hofi/A00XH5.html
http://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_head_knes.htm
http://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_work_org.htm#3
Hebrew
http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/heb/mk.asp?mk_individual_id_t=8
http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%93%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%94_%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%A7
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3033314,00.html
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/pages/ShArtPE.jhtml?itemNo=710553&contrassID=2&subContrassID=4&sbSubContrassID=0
French
http://www.actufiches.ch/content.php?name=Itzik&vorname=Dalia